WWDC 2013: the rumor roundup

WWDC 2013

It’s that special time for Apple devotees: WWDC 2013 is next week, and that means a customary glimpse of where iOS and the Mac are going next. However, we’re getting everything but business as usual this year. The crew at 1 Infinite Loop has shaken up its software strategy, putting much of its emphasis on Jony Ive’s design chops and tighter collaboration between teams. Is Apple about to deliver major OS refreshes that some say are long overdue? And what about hints of new hardware introductions at the same time? We’ve gathered together some of the more notable rumors to help understand what Apple may introduce on June 10th — and what’s likely to remain wishful thinking.

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MSI’s MouseBook is a laptop whose trackpad doubles as a standalone mouse

MSI's MouseBook is a laptop whose trackpad doubles as a standalone mouse

The problem with laptop trackpads: they’re usually not very good. But would turning the touchpad into a mouse solve the problem? Perhaps. That’s what MSI seems to be attempting with its MouseBook concept. In essence, it’s a laptop with a trackpad that can pop out and then be used as a standalone mouse. As you can see in the photo above, there’s a release switch for removing the pad. Once it’s out, you can move it across your desk as you would a mouse, as opposed to just using it as an external trackpad. It connects over Bluetooth and, as you’d expect, it recharges when it’s inside the laptop. What we find most intriguing, perhaps, is the fact that when you remove the trackpad, a flat surface rises up to fill the space so that you’re not left with a gaping hole in your palm rest. Since this is just an experiment at this point, MSI can’t say if it will ever make its way into a real product. If you’re curious, though, we’ve got a walkthrough video after the break, showing everything except, uh, how it works — MSI still doesn’t have a fully functioning unit to show off.

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Razer puts 14-inch Blade up for pre-order

Razer puts 14inch Blade up for preorder

Razer teased us when it unveiled the 14-inch Blade last week: a rare blend of portability with gaming performance, and we couldn’t even put money down? Well, we can at least do that now. The smaller of the two Blades is now up for pre-order, with prices ranging from $1,800 to $2,300 depending on the SSD capacity. Whatever the storage level, players are getting the same 14-inch 1,600 x 900 display, quad-core 2.2GHz Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and GeForce GTX 765M graphics. Any fresh orders should ship within two to three weeks, which fits just inside of Razer’s promised launch schedule — and just ahead of our summer vacations.

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Source: Razer

Dell unveils Haswell-powered laptops and desktops for professionals (video)

Dell unveils Haswellpowered laptops and desktops for professionals video

Between Computex and the launch of Intel’s fourth generation Core Haswell processors, June’s shaping up to be a big month for the PC industry. Fresh from letting us play with its new folding hybrid, Dell is whipping out new OptiPlex 9020 and XE2 desktops, an OptiPlex All-In-One and the Latitude E6540 business laptop. Given that they’re Dell machines, customization options will be limitless when they arrive in the forthcoming weeks, backed by all of those enterprise-friendly vPro, WYSE and Cloud management services that Dell’s attempting to become famous for.

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Via: Electronista

Source: Dell

Dell XPS 12 Ultrabook Launched At Computex

The XPS12 is getting an Intel 4th Generation Core processor (Haswell) upgrade and Dell just made it official since Intel’s embargo has lifted earlier today. It features Dell’s rather unique laptop/tablet hybrid design and Dell says that this new computer […]

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Intel announces Creative Senz3D Peripheral Camera at Computex 2013

Intel announces Creative Depth Vision camera at Computex 2013

Intel’s just announced the Creative Senz3D Peripheral Camera at the company’s Computex keynote in Taipei. The camera lets users manipulate objects on the screen using gestures and is able to completely eliminate the background. It appears to be an evolution of the Creative Interactive Gesture Camera we recently played with at IDF in Beijing. This new 3D depth camera is expected to become available next quarter and Intel plans to incorporate the technology into devices during the second half of 2014. “It’s like adding two eyes to my system,” said Tom Kilroy, VP of marketing. The company’s been talking about “perceptual computing” for some time and this certainly brings the idea one step closer to fruition.

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Intel targets Bay Trail ‘2 in 1’ tablet / laptops for the holidays starting at $399

Intel is in the middle of its Computex 2013 presentation, and it’s already putting a target price for some of those tablet / laptops we’re expecting around the holidays: $399. While more premium experiences will be powered by Intel’s fourth generation Core “Haswell” CPU, the quad-core Atom “Bay Trail” are going in cheaper ultrathin and light notebooks with touchscreens with 2 in 1 editions swinging the keyboard out of the way for use as tablets. That puts them slightly above the $200 floor predicted by Intel execs for basic touchscreen laptops, we’ll see if any of the numerous OEMs on stage can bring out convertible devices worth the extra cash this holiday season.

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Source: Intel (Twitter)

Intel’s first LTE chip announced for Bay Trail-powered tablets capable of global roaming

Intel's first LTE chip announced for Bay Trailpowered tablets capable of global roaming

At last, Intel finally has its very own LTE modem chip! Intel’s Computex 2013 press conference is going on right now, and a company press release states we’ll see a 4G LTE multimode solution paired with its 22nm quad-core Atom SoC for tablets. The XMM 7160 will bring Bay Trail tablets (demonstrated on stage running graphically intense games and streaming 4K video over the integrated LTE) with global roaming capability “towards the end of the back to school season.” While it’s not clear when consumers can get their hands on this technology, hopefully we’ll see something pop up on our end before the end of the year. The talk is still ongoing and we should have more details shortly, check out the press release after the break for now.

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Source: Intel

Acer upgrades its PCs with Haswell, new models include the Aspire V7 Ultrabook

Acer upgrades its PCs with Haswell, new models include the Aspire V7 Ultrabook

This is hardly the biggest Acer news of the week (that would be this, this and this), but it’s worth a PSA nonetheless. Now that Intel’s formally unveiled Haswell, Acer announced it’ll be refreshing much of its PC lineup with those fourth-generation chips — 23 notebooks and six desktops, to be exact. Obviously, that includes too many models and configurations for us to discuss today, but Acer did say the updates will span the S7, M, V3, V5, V7 and E Series laptop lines, with prices ranging from $600 to $1,600. On the desktop side, the changes are limited to AT3-605 series and the Predator AG3-605 series, with prices running the gamut from $700 to $1,500.

If there’s one model that caught our eye, though, it would be an Ultrabook from Acer’s recently announced Aspire V7 series. The V7-482PG-9884-U (how’s that for a name?) has 14-inch IPS display, a Core i7-4500U processor, a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GT750M GPU, 12GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD. That’ll be available this month for $1,300, putting it squarely at the high end of what Acer has to offer.

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Dell refreshes its XPS 12 Ultrabook, XPS 27 all-in-one and XPS 8500 desktop

Dell refreshes its XPS 12 Ultrabook, XPS 27 all-in-one and XPS 8500 desktop

Now that it’s unveiled its next-gen Ultrabook, Dell’s taking the opportunity to refresh the machines it’s already got. Starting with the XPS 12 convertible Ultrabook, the company is adding an NFC chip, Haswell processors and a bigger battery (50Wh, up from 47Wh). Between that CPU change and the enlarged power pack, Dell says the system will now last up to 9.5 hours on a charge — more than three hours longer than the OG version. Fortunately for you, the starting price is staying put at $1,200, with shipments beginning July 9th in most regions.

Moving on, the XPS 27 all-in-one is stepping up to a 2,560 x 1,440 screen with improved brightness (350 nits vs. 300) and a wider color gamut (99 percent, up from 72). As you’d expect, Dell also swapped in fresh Haswell processors and a 2GB, next-gen NVIDIA GPU, along with a Thunderbolt port, TPM and Dell’s ProSupport service offering. Finally, the machine’s getting a bigger storage option: a 2TB 7,200RPM HDD paired with a 256GB SSD. That’s available today for $1,600 and up — the same price you would’ve paid for the last-gen model with a touchscreen. Finally, Dell replaced the XPS 8500 desktop tower with the XPS 8700, which brings Haswell, along with four HDD bays, up to 4TB of storage and up to 32GB of RAM. Additionally, the SSDs offered now include Intel’s Smart Response Technology. That’s available today too for $700 and up. Happy shopping!

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